Rai Kunifusa Shin Gunto 1940

[rew2]

Hello all-

 

This is my first post here. I'm looking to gather information on a sword brought back by my grandfather in law from service in Korea and since given to my family. I posted pictures of the sword first at reddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/SWORDS/comments/fv0azd/shin_gunto_id_help/), and the responses have been fascinating. One member recommended posting our sword in your forum. So far, it has been identified as a Rai Kunifusa from 1940. The other side of the nakago seems difficult to interpret, there was a thought that the sword might be named "Orchid of Echizen," since it seems Rai Kunifusa has named other swords.

 

I did find this thread very interesting, but it seemed to end without much conclusion: http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/10330-rai-kunifusa/ 

 

I also found that the spine of the nakago has another marking, unclear what it means. 

 

If anybody here could tell me more about our sword, that would be awesome. 

 

Thank you all in advance,

Andrew

 

 

[BANGBANGSAN]

表---來國房

裡---越前兜丸    

茎棟---溫

[vajo]

Andrew welcome here!

At first this is a nice gendaito!

 

But i cant belive that this sword comes from your grandfather in that condition. The polish looks not like a wartime sword. The polish is made in the hadori style i think, thats i think it was polished later.

The style in wartimes was the old sashikomi style. But your sword is very nice overall.

[rew2]

表---來國房

裡---越前兜丸    

茎棟---溫

 

Thank you. The single character on the spine - does this mean warm? I'm pretty clueless, and that's what the google brought up!

 

Andrew welcome here!

At first this is a nice gendaito!

 

But i cant belive that this sword comes from your grandfather in that condition. The polish looks not like a wartime sword. The polish is made in the hadori style i think, thats i think it was polished later.

The style in wartimes was the old sashikomi style. But your sword is very nice overall.

 

Thank you. I asked my wife, and her grandfather served briefly at the end of WW2 in Okinawa. He later served in Korea. I'm not sure when the sword was acquired, I'll ask next time we visit. Either way, it spent its subsequent life in his Oklahoma home in storage ever since. They recently moved up to New England, which was when it was given to us. I'm not sure if he had it polished ever, again, will try to ask. 

 

One of the reddit commentators noted that the mei looked rough cut. Any opinions?

 

Any other information on the smith Rai Kunifusa?

 

Cheers, 

Andrew

[BANGBANGSAN]

Andrew

溫 could means Warm,Temperature,or even some one's Family name. Not sure what it means here.

 

 

 

Thank you. The single character on the spine - does this mean warm? I'm pretty clueless, and that's what the google brought up!

 

 

Thank you. I asked my wife, and her grandfather served briefly at the end of WW2 in Okinawa. He later served in Korea. I'm not sure when the sword was acquired, I'll ask next time we visit. Either way, it spent its subsequent life in his Oklahoma home in storage ever since. They recently moved up to New England, which was when it was given to us. I'm not sure if he had it polished ever, again, will try to ask. 

 

One of the reddit commentators noted that the mei looked rough cut. Any opinions?

 

Any other information on the smith Rai Kunifusa?

 

Cheers, 

Andrew

 

[NathanLM]

From the same smith?

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/293446553585

[David Flynn]

Vajo, I don't think this has a Hadori polish.  What makes it look like it is a very wide Habuchi.  Still need better pictures.

[Bruce Pennington]

You'll find more guys with a much broader translation expertice at the Translation Assistance thread:

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/forum/15-translation-assistance/

[Grey Doffin]

Hi Andrew,

In case you haven't already found something like this, here is a care and handling brochure for you to read.

http://nbthk-ab.org/cleaning-maintenance.html

Grey

[nagamaki - Franco]

Suggest; https://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/books/b659-military-swords-Japan-1868-1945-fuller-%26-gregory

 

Quick comments (that could be mistaken); WWII officers sword, missing tassel, do not see military acceptance stamp(?), hand forged machine steel, water quenched (nioi), WWII polish, Mino tradition sword(?), interesting to see curvature continue into the nakago. 

[16k]

Franco, I’d be surprised if it’s a machine made, oil quenched blade, especially with a name. I think it’s a Gendaito.

[nagamaki - Franco]

Jean-Pierre,

 

I said made from "hand forged machine steel", "water quenched." Please read more carefully. Thank you. 

[16k]

Jean-Pierre,

 

I said made from "hand forged machine steel", "water quenched." Please read more carefully. Thank you. 

 

Oops, my bad, sorry, I misunderstood what you meant.

[nagamaki - Franco]

No worries.

[george trotter]

表---來國房

裡---越前兜丸    

茎棟---溫

 

This Showa era smith seems to have always "named' his swords (I have seen pics of a few over the years)...this one seems to be named (middle line)  ECHZEN TO MARU (Echizen helmet maru?...Lucky headpiece/protector of Echizen?...I could be wrong).

Here is a page (92) from "Dai Nihon Token Shoko Meikan"  1942 that identifies him.

regards,

[JH Lee]

On 4/9/2020 at 2:33 AM, nagamaki - Franco said:

Suggest; https://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/books/b659-military-swords-Japan-1868-1945-fuller-%26-gregory

 

Quick comments (that could be mistaken); WWII officers sword, missing tassel, do not see military acceptance stamp(?), hand forged machine steel, water quenched (nioi), WWII polish, Mino tradition sword(?), interesting to see curvature continue into the nakago. 

 

What would be the proper classification for such a water quenched blade?

 

Gendaito?  Showato?  Showa gendaito?

 

Also, any information on the type of "machine steel" likely to have been used?

 

Thanks, everyone.

[vajo]

Its a gendai-to. A fine sword made in a dark age. Give it a good care.

[JH Lee]

Thank you so much, Chris.  Any ideas what type of steel smiths like Kunifusa might have used?  Considering he also used traditional tamahagane, I would guess he would have been thoughtful in what he chose rather than just picking up some random thing off of his shop floor.

 

I know that koa-isshin mantetsu were used with non-traditional steel but also forge-welded a softer core inside harder outer steel.  I wonder if similar techniques might ever have been employed by other smiths using modern "machine steel."  Fascinating stuff.  Any information would be greatly appreciated!!  Thanks again, everyone.

[IJASWORDS]

Franco, how can you tell if it is "machine steel' if it has hada and habuchi?